Christian Ponder dropped back and threw a pass few quarterbacks could throw better. Way down the field, Jarius Wright caught the ball in stride for a 65-yard reception that set up a short touchdown pass that Ponder zinged to Michael Jenkins. That was Ponder against Green Bay on Sunday, Dec. 31. That was Ponder at his best. That was Ponder as the Vikings hope to see him again Saturday in the playoffs against the Packers.

The second-year quarterback has been playing better lately, so much better that his performance over the past several weeks helped lift the Vikings into the playoffs. He had the best game of his young career in Sunday's victory over the Packers, throwing for 234 yards and three touchdowns and putting up a notable quarterback rating of 120.2.

Ponder has been practicing with a sore elbow injured in the first half against Green Bay, but Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said he should be fine for the playoff opener.

Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave and the players around the Vikings' young quarterback certainly have seen Ponder's development over the past four games. He's putting in the extra work, making better decisions, emerging as a leader on the field and becoming the player the Vikings need him to be.

Musgrave: "He's making better decisions late in the down. He's doing a better job of using his legs when the first or second or third guy in his pass progression isn't there. He's hurt defenses by running. I know he did that in Houston. That really helps because it's tough for defenses to account for a quarterback not only as a passer, but also a runner."

Sullivan: "He's being smarter. He's taking care of the football. He's realizing how our offense functions. He's not making mistakes. We're avoiding turnovers, and we know when we do that we're a tough team to beat. We're scoring early in games. We're playing out in front. That helps us."

Allen: "He has owned his mistakes. The best thing I've seen out of him these last few games: His ball security has been great. And his decision-making has been good. You watch that Houston game, taking it down and tucking it -- two of those runs were huge. It really kept drives going and kept momentum going, changed field position. So just plays like that, you kind of say, 'OK, he's really starting to get it and understand where he needs to be.' He has an opportunity to lead this team, and that's what his job is."

Felton: "He has all the skills to be an elite quarterback. He has the arm to do it. He's mobile. I think he's a good decision-maker. Like every young quarterback, he'll make some bad decisions, but he's proven these last several weeks he can make good decisions, too."

WORK HABITS

Musgrave: "He's here early in the morning and late at night. There's a lot of work to be done with a quarterback. Your scope has to be tremendously broad without spreading yourself too thin. He puts the time in to make sure he's well prepped. At times, when I walk in, especially early in the week, I see him sitting in the cafeteria. He's got his book out or he's making notes. He has watched film and he's having a bowl of cereal and getting ready to go back down and get a workout. It's probably around 7 or 8. We have coaches' dinners at night. At times, he slips in there and grabs a bite to eat or a little to-go box to go home. It's definitely a full day's work. He's fully invested."

Sullivan: "You want to see a guy who's committed, and that's what we have in our quarterback. He's done a great job of maturing throughout the course of the year and is continuing to progress. That's what you want at your most important position. You want that across the board from everybody."

Bethel-Thompson: "You're seeing all the work he put in paying off."

Musgrave: "He is quick to pick up things. He does a lot of great things with our running game. We try to get, at times, the ideal play vs. a certain defensive look. And so the quarterback has to do some check-with-me's and get us in the right blocking scheme or the right formation for our runs for Adrian."

LEADERSHIP

Musgrave: "He's good in the huddle. He's very focused and sets the tone for our offense."

Allen: When I played with Trent Green (in Kansas City), you knew the team was his. You knew that the offense was his. And that's what Christian has done these last two, three, four weeks. He's really kind of put himself more in front of the team, saying, "Listen, let's go. It's time to play." And (he's) letting people hear his voice. And that's what you have to do. Even though he's young and there are older guys on the team that are in leadership positions, as well, to be a winning organization, a winning team, your quarterback has to be that dominating force and has to be that guy that everybody looks to. I think that's really what he's starting to do, and he's really starting to accept that role and being comfortable with it. ... We've played some good defense these last few games. And the second half of the last game, he had to bail us out. The offense had to really bail us out. It can be tough, but like I said, for me watching, that's where he's made leaps and bounds. It's just in his leadership."

Sullivan: "I think you have to identify that (leadership ability) as much as you can in the pre-draft process. I think his leadership ability is one of the things that attracted the Vikings to him."

Felton: "He's just a young guy. He had to get some more experience. I don't think anybody questioned whether he was a leader or not. I think he's just having fun now. In the huddle, I don't think he's letting the pressure or the stress get to him. I think he's playing a lot freer. In the huddle, he's joking more. I can't remember exactly what he said, but the first play of the game (against the Packers) he said something that made everybody laugh. You can just tell he's having fun with it. I think he's put all the stress and the pressure to the side and is just letting his football instincts and skills take over."

Jenkins: "What did he do in the huddle? It was a little silly 'quack' thing he does, like the hockey movie with the kids, 'Mighty Ducks.' We just laughed about it. He usually just does it on Saturdays in walk-throughs. He was just having fun, not putting too much pressure on himself."

CONFIDENCE

Bethel-Thompson: "I think his confidence is picking up at the right time. He's playing well. Sometimes, quarterback is so much of a rhythm position. You feel the groove and you kind of roll with that. That very well may be the case."

Musgrave: "I think his confidence should be soaring. We all were disappointed when we didn't get the outcome we wanted, whether it was in Seattle or at Washington or at Green Bay or home against Tampa Bay ... he was, too. But he's been very good at bouncing back and making amends for it."

Sullivan: "As players and as a team, you try to stay on an even keel. We never saw a dip in confidence from him. I think you saw his desire to get better and a sense or urgency from all of us, especially when we were 6-6. We were starting the playoffs right then. We had to win all our games to get in."

Jenkins: "It's just confidence (now). No magic formula."

Felton: "I think he's always been confident. It was just a learning experience (when he and the team struggled). He's so young. This is a hard league on young quarterbacks, so you're going to go through those times. He went through a little time where we lost a couple of games, but it's about how you bounce back. He obviously did that at a high level."

Aromashodu: "He's just a lot more confident, and that comes with experience."

OVERALL

Musgrave: "We sure hope he's just scratching the surface. He's definitely headed in the right direction."

Peterson: "Earlier in the season, we really didn't have that connection where the pass game was really significant. Now we're definitely more balanced, so teams have to respect that."

Felton: "He's a younger guy, so the more comfortable he gets, the more he'll be able to let his true personality come out. Everybody is behind him. Adrian is behind him. That'll take some stress off him, too."

Musgrave: "He's doing a super job here down the stretch. It's been enjoyable to be on this run. I think you always learn from your experiences, and the more experiences he can accumulate, the more lessons he's learned, and he's been able to apply those."

Felton: "We've believed in Christian since Day One. And that has never waned. I don't think you've heard anyone here say otherwise. When he's playing at the level he's playing at, I think it makes us a tough team to beat. We'll try to ride that going into Saturday."